paine



(No Model.)

' W. J. PAINE.

v REGULATOR FOR ELEGTRIU LIGHTS. No. 321,843. it PatentegJlily 7, 1885.

y k I ATEST: I V INVENTOR: 1/ w%-@W -15 lights, the borders and foot lights, but also to UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VALTEB J. PAINE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO SIDNEY B. PAINE, OF SAME PLAOE.

REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,843, dated July 7, 1885.

Application filed January 12, 1885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J. PAINE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Regulators for Electric Lights, of which the following is a specification.

The object I have in view is to do away with the bulky and expensive resistance-boxes heretofore used for lowering and raising the candle-power of incandescing electric lamps. These have been employed in theaters and other places of public amusement, and have been applied more especially to the stagethe lights in the auditorium, it being necessary for proper scenic effect that the electric lamps should be capable of the same complete control that gas-jets are. I have discovered that the lamps themselves may be used as resistances for reducing the candle-power by throwing them into a proper series relation, and I have devised means for accomplishing this end in a progressive manner by a simple and effectively-acting switch.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a top view of the switch with connectionsin diagram ,the switcharm being shown for clearness in dottedlines,

and Fig. 2 a View in diagram of an arrange ment for partially accomplishing the same end by separate switches.

The incandescing electric lamps L are shown in Fig. 1 as divided into eight groups or see 3 5 tions,A B O D E F G H. These are connected to the single switch shown, and to the dynamo'electric machine I or other source of electric energy.

The eight groups of lamps may be the footlights of a theater, or the border lights, or those of the auditorium. The lamps of each group are shown, for clearness, as located together; but in practice the lamps of the several groups will be properly intermingled or 5 otherwise relatively arranged to produce the desired effect of a gradual raising or lowering of the lights.

The switch-bar is pivoted at its center and is composed of two metal arms, K K ,WhlCl1 are insulated from each other at the pivot.

These arms have spring or other contacts (also shown in dotted lines) which rest upon all the plates directly beneath them, there being one spring or other contact for each range of plates. Near the pivot of the switch-bar are the dynamo-plates (0 (L ,Wl]i(3l1 are connected by conductors 1 2 with the dynamo or other source of electric energy I. Beneath K are three curved plates, 12 0 (1 These extend from one limit of the movement of K in the direction of its movement different distances,plate b being shorter than 0 and 0 shorter than (1 Beneath bar K are similar plates, 1) 0- cl, over which it moves. Plates 0 0 (1 are connected by conductors 3 4 5 with one side of groups A, B, and C, respectively, while I) c d are connected by conductors 6 7 8 with Wires9, 10, and 11, running from groups A, B, and G to groups D, E, and F. The other sides of groups D, E, and Fare connected'by conductor 12 with conductor 1 from the positive brush of dynamo. Beneath bar K are also plates e f ,which commence at the same end of movement ofbar K" as doplates If 0' d". Plate 6 is shorter than f, and f" shorter than I). Be- 7 5 tween the positive conductorlZ and the plates ef are connected the groups G H. The bar K also moves over plates 9 lr i, which it reaches after leaving plates bc (1* when passing from position of full light (that indicated in the s drawings) to position of no light. The plates 9' h t" areseparated from IF 0* d" by idle-plates is, preferably of non-conducting material or of metal insulated from the active plates, while following plates 9 7r iare other idle-plates, Z. 8 5 The plates 70 prevent short circuits by preventing the contacts from bridging active plates. By reason of the differencein length of b" c dthe plates 9 hi are reached in succession by the contacts of K, and terminating at 0 different points. These plates are left in succession by such contacts. Plates 9* If i are connected by conductors 1314: 15 with wires 3 a 5, extending from plates b 0 (1 to groups A B G. The plates b 0 (1 are followed by idle- 5 plates m. I

YVhen the switch-bar is in the position shown, the course of thecurrent is from I ma 1 an K b 0 01 3 4t 5 to groups of lamps A B O, and m'a9,10, 11, 6, 7, 8, bjc, dQK, a, and

2 back to I, bringing lamps of groups A B into circuit at full candle-power. Current also flows from I via 112, lamps of groups D, E, F, 9, 10, 11, 6, 7, S, I), c", d, K, (F, and 2 back to I, bringing lamps of groups D E F into cir cuit at full candle-power. Another circuit is from Im'a 1 l2 lamps of groups G, H, e ,f ,K

(F, and 2 back to I, bringing lamps of groups G H into circuit at full candle-power. This position of the switch-bar is at one limit of its movement, it being stopped by a. The stop 0 is at the other limit of movement, bars K" K then resting on idle-plates Z m, and all the lamps being out of circuit.

In passing from the first to the second limit the following changes take place: Bar K first leaves plate e and then f, breaking the circuits of groups G and H in succession, these groups being thrown out of circuit at full candle-power. Then bar K leaves plate Zr and reaches and at the same time bar K leaves plate D The effect of this change is to throw all the lamps of group Ainto series with the lamps of group D, the current passing from I via 1, 12, D, 9, A, 3, 18, 91 K (F, and 2 back to I. The lamps of the groups thus thrown into series are reduced in candle-power. The movement being continued bar K leaves 0 and reaches IF, and bar K leaves 0 throwing groups B and E into series. Then plate i is reached in same manner,throwing 0 and F into series. At this point the six groups are in three series, the lamps all being at low candle-power. The movement being continued, bar K leaves 9- IF 2- in succession, breaking the circuit first of A D,then ofB E, and finally of O F.

The reverse movement of the switch-bar throws the lamps into circuit in the reverse order from that just described, the groups being first thrown into circuit in series of two groups each with the lamps at low candle-power, and then these series being divided in succession, bringing the lamps to full candlepower,and finally the groups G H beingthrowu in at full candle-power. In this way the effect of a gradual lowering and raising of the lights will be produced in a simple manner and without the use of resistances.

The use of the principle described of throwing the lamps into series to reduce their candle-power is one capable of extensive applica tion. The switch may be used for the lights 01' aroom, and even for those of a single fixture. As many groups as desired may be controlled by the switch, or as small a number, (two or more,) and each group may have as many lamps as desired, (two or more.) The plates 1 c f for groups G H, which are thrown on and off at full candle-power, may or may not be employed.

In Fig. 2, Mis a two-arm switch, controlling groups of lamps N O. The two switch-arms are parallel, and work together,being connected by an insulating-bar. They are connected at their pivots to the dynamo-wires 1617. The two groups of lamps are connected together, and at their junction is a contact-plate for the switch. The outer side of group N is connected to another switch-plate, and the outer side of O is connected to the positive dynamamo-wire 16.

In the position of the switch shown the groups are in series and the lamps atlow candle-power. A movement of switch to thelet't would break the circuit of both groups, while a movement to the right, causing the switch arms to rest upon the two contact-plates, would throw the lamps into separate circuits and bring them up to full candle-power. The group of lamps P is thrown into and out of circuit at full candle-power by a simple circuit making and breaking switch, Q.

The wires 16 and 17 of the group P and the same wires of the groups N O are connected with thesame su1')ply-cireuit or dynamo, which is not shown.

The method herein described of regulating electric lights is not claimed, since it will be made the subject of a separate application (Case 0) for Letters Patent.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The conrbinatiomwith two or more groups oflamps, of a regulating-switch having contacts with which said groups are connected, and contacts for connecting and disconnecting the group-contacts on the switch for throwing the groups into and out of series, and multipleare arrangements, substantially as set forth.

2. The combinatio11,\\'itha eurrent-slilpplying circuit, of a regulating-switch and two or more groups oflamps connected directly with said supply-circuit, and also connected with the supply-circuit through the switch, and contacts on the switch for-throwing thegroups into and out of seri es, and multi ple-are arrangements, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a supply-circuit and a number of groups of lamps, of a regulating-switch having contacts for bringing the groups into a multiple-arc arrangement, and contacts for bringing the groups into a series arrangement, such contacts being arranged in succession to act upon the groups successively, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 5th day of January, 1885.

\VALTER J. PAINE.

\Vitnesses:

T. G. GREENE, Jr. E. G. ROWLAND. 

